Today we’d like to introduce you to Lariza McBean-Martinez.
Hi Lariza, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Panama City Republic of Panama and was raised by my paternal grandparents. My father was killed by a drunk driver three months before I was born and my mother abandoned me when I was an infant. Fortunately, my paternal grandparents adopted me and raised me. We migrated to the United States when I was five years old and established ourselves in San Diego, CA. As you can imagine, adapting to the American culture and learning the English language as an immigrant has its challenges. Grade school was extremely difficult, due to bullying because I was placed in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. During that time, my peers made fun of me because I did not know how to speak English proficiently. I overcame this by submerging myself in reading books and educating myself with the assistance of a speech pathologist. Going home after school to my grandparents always gave me the feeling of security. I was blessed to have them educate me about our Panamanian culture; the way of life, traditions, food and so much more. As I look back, I remember them holding their daily cup of coffee as I sat on the table next to them drinking their version of a child’s coffee (it was hot cocoa). With that being said, my grandparents gave me strength to push through all adversities.
Fast forward to college, I attended University of Houston and acclaimed 2 Bachelor’s Degrees and 3 minors. I continued my education and obtained 2 Master’s. Furthering my education provided me opportunities to pursue my career in Leadership and Management roles at the Texas Medical Center. You may wonder why I am so ambitious? I made a promise to my Grandparents that I would finish college and make them proud. To them, that was their American Dream. Being raised in an immigrant household, I knew that I wanted more and one day I would be my own boss.
Here we are, about 30 years later creating Kulture Koffee by yours truly. I always envisioned starting a business that I was passionate about. The passion derived from coffee and the many wonderful, happy memories tied to my Grandparents and loved ones. In 2020, I was involved in a car accident which unfortunately left me with spinal nerve damage that affected my mobility. I was put in physical therapy to help me learn how to walk correctly. I was in extreme pain and prescribed multiple pain medications which as you know, has its side effects. Taking all those medications took a toll on my body. This led me to divulge into deep research of pain alternatives, in which I discovered CBD and Delta-8. After learning and educating myself about CBD and the different strain of legal Cannabis, I thought why not combine pain management with coffee? A light bulb went off and Kulture Koffee was born. After a years’ worth of thorough research and development, I was able to create a product that I was proud to share.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As you know, starting any business is never a smooth road especially as a minority. I faced many challenges but was able to overcome them and find solutions. Starting your own business from the ground up and self-funding it, will always bring hardships and challenges. However, for the survival of your business you must face them head on and find solutions quickly. You will find that your free time you use to have to hang out with friends and family, is limited or nonexistent. In addition, to having longer days that consist of working your normal 9-5 and staying up late to run your business. You will also find that everyone you supported during their business endeavors will not have the same energy and support for yours. That will make you understand that not everyone will support you and that is okay because it will give you more self-resilience.
Two other challenges that I am facing are: 1) Time management between personal life and business 2) Advertising and connecting in the minority business scene in the Houston area. Needless to say, I realized that being an entrepreneur you have to have thick skin. I allowed myself to face my challenges and feel the defeat sometimes because I want to remember what not to feel and do again. I strive to break through and refuse defeat.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Kulture Koffee?
Kulture Koffee offers single origin organic coffee. Our coffee beans are roasted to order in small batches, which offers ultimate freshness. We work with one of the top roasters to ensure that the coffee offered has low acidity. The Hemp utilized to infuse our beans are Nano grade, USA grown and organic. We offer several signature coffee options, CBD infused, CBD full spectrum infused and Delta-8 infused coffee. What sets us apart from other hemp infused coffee brands, is that we offer more CBD and Delta-8 per ounce in a 12 oz bag. In addition, to infused products we also offer regular single origin organic coffee, ranging from Colombian, Panamanian, a signature Latin blend and etc. We will be launching CBD and CBN infused organic teas and coffee Boosters in April. We are proud to offer one of the lowest price points for hemp infused coffee compared to our competitors. We can be found on Tailore (www.tailorie.com), ThingTesting (www.thingtesting.com) and on our website at www.Kulture-Koffee.com
What makes you happy?
Simple things make me happy from being able to wake up in the morning, talking to my friends and family, and drinking my daily cup of Kulture Koffee. I enjoy traveling back home to Panama to spend time with my sisters, niece, and brother. In addition, to eating out at new Houston food spots, traveling, networking and just plain relaxing. I am living my version of the American Dream, my grandparents brought me here to have. These are all of the thing that make me HAPPY!
Contact Info:
- Email: owner@kulture-koffee.com
- Website: www.kulture-koffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kulture_koffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kulturekoffee/
Image Credits
@Sweenshots
@bbrriiaann1
@alextongolphotography
Sam Fitz (Ung)
